The petition calls on Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop MSP to help ensure the hoard returns home to Galloway rather be kept by the National Museums.

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The message from Galloway, Scotland and around the world is very clear – the hoard was buried in Galloway for safekeeping 1,000 years ago and that is where its home should be.

Having the hoard in the secure and dedicated space specially designed for it in the new Kirkcudbright Art Gallery is the right thing to do in terms of history, context and archaeology.

If the hoard goes to the enormous national museum in Edinburgh, already packed with treasures, it will completely undermine the spirit of 2017 as Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

– Cathy Agnew, Chair of the GVH Campaign

The hoard was discovered at an undisclosed location in Galloway by a metal detectorist in 2014.

It includes more than 100 gold and silver objects, some already old when they were hidden.

Among them are a unique gold bird-shaped pin, an enameled Christian cross, decorated Anglo-Saxon brooches, armbands and an engraved Carolingian silver vessel. The items are thought to come from across Europe – there are even fragments of Byzantine silk.

A meeting takes place on March 23rd at which the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel is due to make its final recommendation on the two bids for the hoard – one for its home to be in Kirkcudbright and the other for it to be held by National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh.